Another factor, beyond just trying to simplify boat stareage, purchasing decisions, etc is the big C word- confidence.

if you are more confident on the water with most every kind of color combination in your boat, then go for it. For me, having a gazillion colors on hand just makes it too confusing to make decisions on the water (not to mention the storage issue).

I have confidence in my go to colors, and that's what matters to me personally.

if someone in the boat with me catches them better on a different shade, etc, then I may have to adjust and get some of that color.

JMHO- you have to do what works for you, and for me, having a basic set of colors by bait type works.

And yes, I agree it is funny that I said I try to "simplify" things, but yet I have a bunch of different colors depending on bait type. But, basically in soft plastics, I carry watermelon, green pumpkin, black n blue, and junebug (plus the shad colors when trying to imitate a bait fish). I really feel that those will work in 90% of the situations I find.

Lures were designed to catch fisherman thats why there are soooooooo many colors and styles Fisherman catch fish.I had an old friend that was very poor growing up in florida used use old pieces of tires and cut them in strips to look like a warm and he caught plenty of fish.I believe its more of a motion thing fish pickup with there lateral lines than a visual thing.....

White and chartruese. Don't need anything else. I've fished alot of different colors and baits. When you're not catching anything at all, switch it to a white or a chartruese. Its all I fish anymore.

Telling a bass junky like me to keep color choices simple is like telling Imelda Marcos to have only one pair of shoes.

While I would like to keep it simple, the Bait Monkey is not on the same page...  

Crankbaits-silver w/black back,chrome w/blue back,craw pattern,baby bass

Jerkbaits-silver w/black back,gold w/black back,silver w/blue back

plastics-green pumpkin,red shad,black w/blue tail,watermelon,watermelon candy,grape shad

spinnerbaits-white,chartreuse,white w/gold tinsel,white w/silver tinsel,black,white w/red,chartreuse w/red,black w/red

Jigs-blue,black w/blue,green pumpkin,brown,brown w/orange,and white w/red

Lipless crankbaits-red craw pattern,chrome w/blue back,chrome w/black back

Buzzbaits-white w/red,chartreuse w/red,black w/red

Topwaters-silver w/black,silver w/blue,gold w/black,clear,baby bass

These are my favorite colors,but there are many more that I use from time to time...simplified...LOL

I use 2 colors

Natural dark

Natural light

(not the beer, although "beer", would be a good color too) lol